In January 2014, a project of personalised invitations for cancer screening programmes was launched in the Czech Republic. In particular, citizens are invited to participate in colorectal cancer screening (men and women), as well as breast cancer screening and cervical cancer screening (women). Personalised invitations are aimed at citizens who have not participated in cancer screening programmes in the long term, and therefore are at a higher risk of developing cancer. The project is expected to increase participation rates in Czech cancer screening programmes.

The project of personalised invitations is coordinated by the Czech Ministry of Health, which closely cooperates with health care payers (health insurance companies) and expert medical societies. Health insurance companies invite their clients (persons insured) to cancer prevention programmes, and reimburse all necessary examinations related to cancer screening programmes. Each screening programme, however, is rather specific when it comes to making appointments with medical specialists:

Clinical examination of colon and rectum

Endoscopic examination of colon and rectum (men and women) will be performed by an endoscopist after the client brings a request form issued by his/her GP or gynaecologist. Faecal occult blood test (FOBT) is an alternative examination method, and the client will receive it from his/her GP or gynaecologist.

What are cancer screening programmes based on, and who are they intended for?

Healthy lifestyle is among recommended measures that anyone can adopt in order to decrease his/her risk of developing cancer. However, many cases of cancer develop despite a healthy lifestyle, and it is essential to detect them at earliest stages possible. In general, a malignant tumour diagnosed at an early stage is much more likely to be treated successfully when compared to a cancer diagnosed at an advanced stage. Moreover, three cancer types can be detected so efficiently and safely that preventive screening tests can be offered to citizens: namely, screening for cervical cancer and breast cancer in women, and screening for colorectal cancer in men and women.

cervical smear test once a year as part of a routine gynaecological exam

Why are personalised invitations needed in screening programmes?

Screening programmes have the potential to significantly decrease mortality rates for above-mentioned cancers. However, participation rates of the eligible population in cancer screening programmes need to be high enough in order to fulfil that potential. Information on preventable cancers, as well as on risks and benefits of cancer screening programmes, needs to be disseminated among the general population, and developed countries introduced personalised invitations a long time ago. The Czech Republic has lagged behind in this regard, which is undoubtedly one of the reasons for low participation rates of the Czech population in cancer screening programmes.

Unfortunately, the Czech Republic is among the countries with the highest burden of cancer worldwide: each year in the Czech Republic, more than 77,000 people are diagnosed with cancer and there are nearly 28,000 deaths from the disease. On top of that, the number of cancer patients has grown steadily, which is partly due to ageing of the Czech population. By the end of 2013, there were more than 450,000 persons with a history of cancer in this country. Such alarming numbers themselves justify the need of an effective cancer prevention. The following table summarises epidemiological characteristics of selected cancers in the Czech Republic.

Year 2000

Year 2010

Prediction for year 2014

All cancers (C00-C97)

incidence
mortality

58,410
28,539

77,035
27,834

-
-

Cervical cancer (C53)

incidence
mortality

1,052
363

994
342

1,022 (861; 1,181)
-

Breast cancer (C50) in women

incidence
mortality

5,004
1,939

6,498
1,655

7,313 (6 578; 8,049)
-

Colorectal cancer (C18-C20)

incidence
mortality

7,484
4,336

8,136
3,810

8,743 (7,987; 9,504)
-

Where can you find more information about a specific screening programme?

You can visit one of the below-mentioned websites, which provide all necessary information about the prevention of specific cancers.